After Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV aired on Investigation Discovery in March 2024, Nickelodeon fans who grew up watching Teen Nick shows were shocked to hear about alleged workplace harassment, sexual assault and more disturbing claims from their favorite stars. One of the most shocking names to come forward was Drake Bell, who revealed that he was sexually assaulted multiple times by a former dialogue coach. In light of Bell’s revelations, another former child actor revealed their experience on another show.
Learn which former child actors came forward with allegations before and after Quiet on Set aired.
Drake Bell
During Quiet on Set, the Drake & Josh alum recounted the “brutal” sexual abuse he faced at the hands of Brian Peck in the early 2000s.
“You know anytime I had an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house,” Bell said. “And it just got worse, and worse, and worse, and worse, and I was just trapped. I had no way out. The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal.”
The musician continued, “I was sleeping on the couch where I usually sleep and I woke up to him — I opened my eyes and I woke up and he was … he was sexually assaulting me. And I froze, and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react.”
Nickelodeon responded to Bell’s comments in a statement obtained by Hollywood Life.
“Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward,” the network said.
Matthew Underwood
Matthew Underwood released a statement, claiming that he was sexually assaulted by his former agent when he was 19-years-old on Thursday, March 28. He did admit that he “never had a bad experience” on a set for Nickelodeon or working with Dan Schneider. He revealed that the experience with his agent led him to step away from acting. “My trust was betrayed and my self-image crushed. I reported him to the agency and he has since been fired—although he is still active in the industry. This experience provoked my move away from LA and ended my pursuit of acting,” he wrote.
Allie DiMeco
@missalliedimeco TV talk brought to you by me and #mightypatch #iykyk 🥸 #quietonset #mystory #nbb #nakedbeothersband #nickelodeon #PTSD #theick #absolutelymental #kidactor
Allie starred in the musical mockumentary show The Naked Brothers Band, playing the love interest, Rosalina. In a March 2024 TikTok video, Allie revealed she was uncomfortable when she had to kiss a much older man for a scene. Moreover, she claimed that the production made her feel as if she would lose her role if she didn’t do it.
“They made me kiss this 30 plus-year-old man when I was like, what, 14, 15?” Allie said. “I told them many times that I didn’t want to do it. My mom was very against it, and they pretty much made me feel like I was going to lose my job, that I might be fired if I didn’t do it.”
Allie explained the episode in question from the show.
“There was an episode where Rosalina ‘cheated’ on Nat and kind of kissed a French guy,” the actress explained. “He’s a 30-year-old man. I’m sorry, I couldn’t even watch it. It gives me f**king the ick, and it honestly gives me PTSD. … I’m watching this Quiet on Set documentary. and it’s talking about how integral and vital it is to create — especially when it’s a kids cast — to create an environment where kids feel comfortable to say ‘No’ or ‘I don’t feel comfortable with this.’ And I’m like, yeah, maybe they do express that though, it’s also more important to create an environment that listens to the kids and actually does not make them do things when they don’t want to do them.”
Jennette McCurdy
As much as we’ve all known The Creator is Dan Schneider did anyone notice the fact Jennette McCurdy calls him Dan in the one sentence? pic.twitter.com/QOtyqj9T4E
— Amelia 🍒 (@amelia_h_a) September 27, 2022
The former iCarly star went into detail in her 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, about the alleged toxic workplace she faced working with “The Creator.” Many believe she was referring to the creator of the series, Dan Schneider, especially since one excerpt refers to “The Creator” as “Dan.”
At one point in her memoir, McCurdy recalled the scene when her character, Sam, had to kiss Nathan Kress‘ character, Freddie, in the original series. At the time, “The Creator” yelled at her several times while filming, she alleged.
“The Creator looks me right in the eye but doesn’t say anything for four or five seconds,” McCurdy wrote in her book. “I almost start to laugh, thinking he might be messing with me for fun like he does sometimes, but then I recognize that there is a deep anger in him. This is no time for laughter.”
McCurdy also claimed that the network wanted to pay her hush money to prevent her from disclosing what she went through behind the scenes.
“Nickelodeon is offering me three hundred thousand dollars in hush money to not talk publicly about my experience on the show? My personal experience of The Creator’s abuse?” she alleged. “This is a network with shows made for children. Shouldn’t they have some sort of moral compass? Shouldn’t they at least try to report to some sort of ethical standard?”
Alexa Nikolas
During Quiet on Set, Alexa recalled a Zoey 101 scene when her character, Nicole, accidentally squirted goo on Jamie Lynn Spears‘ face. As the cast stood behind the camera, Nikolas alleged that she heard a man say, “That’s a c*m shot.”
Over the past several years, Nikolas has actively protested against Nickelodeon and called on the network to ensure safety for child actors on their sets.
In response to the allegations made in Quiet on Set, Nickelodeon provided a statement to Hollywood Life.
“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct,” the statement read. “Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.